One of the more ambitious creations of GM’s fertile 1950s Motorama Era was the GMC L’Universelle. Most of them were roadsters or futuristic sedans, but the L’Universelle was something all together different: a multi-purpose cargo mover, with FWD, no less. Of course, Citroen had been building very practical FWD vans for some time, but in GM’s predictable way, they were going to notch it up considerably, with jet-age styling, “Dagmar” bumpers, A V8 engine, and flip up side and rear doors.
So much for the dreamy stuff. In the bright light of day, a number of painful realities made themselves known, such as the fact that GM had no FWD transaxle, so it had to cobble up a crude V-drive affair which actually never worked; this was strictly a “roller” that could not move under its own power. The radiator tucked under a vent in the roof was not viable. And oddly, there was no passenger version, which could have been a proto-minivan. But then these GM dream cars weren’t really made to be real functioning vehicles; their purpose was to show that GM could dream.
Here’s an X-ray view. The Pontiac V8 with its ouptut running forward is mounted midship, allowing a full front bench seat.
Here’s a view of the frame and other innards. Looks like the radiator sort of surrounds the engine.
The side and rear doors flipped up like this. The L’Universelle here is being the flower car in its own funeral.
Here’s another view from the front. It seemed like a good idea at the time, right?
Obviously some of the L’Universelle’s design elements made it into the Corvan/Greenbrier.
And the side flip-up door looks a bit like the Corvair Rampside’s ramp flipped upside down. So the dreaming wasn’t all totally wasted. Unfortunately, the Corvan/Rampside’s non-flat cargo floor due to the rear engine turned out to be not what most folks wanted in a cargo van or pickup. But GM caught on eventually.
Now if GM had brought out a 1966 L’Universelle II with the Toronado’s UPP, updated styling and made it primarily a people hauler, that might have been a lot closer to something that could both actually work and be a viable product. Instead we get a four-passenger luxury coupe. Oh well…
You’re right, Paul. This show car brings many more questions than answers…
a] Why did anyone even have the idea of a fancy van in their head? In this era, there wasn’t even any such thing as a “van” from an American company, one made do with a sedan or panel delivery.
b] Around the same timeframe, SAAB was developing and introducing the 93, which (I believe) had the same powertrain concept, with the engine installed “backwards”. So the problem was solvable. (Admittedly it was a much lower HP engine.)
c] I’m left wondering if some powertrain engineer on this project didn’t keep chewing on this idea for another 10 years, leading to the development of the UPP.
d] the “crude v-drive” that never worked… was it related to the v-drive in the back end of buses?
e] it strikes me, mechanically, as similar to the Jeep van prototype based on the Forward Control models. Just eliminate the rear driveshaft and driven axle and use the transfer case to send power to the front only. I also wonder if the Jeep FC van prototype was stillborn for the same cooling issues as the L’Universelle – the pickups had the radiator at the back of the cab, but that doesn’t work in a van version.
Sorry for the ramblings. I’m up way to early, having forced myself to wake up from a dream almost as weird as the L’Universelle.
Well, GMC actually did when they came out with their motorhome in the ’70s…Thats what I see in this.
Aka, while GM’s design department could come up with incredible (if impractical) flights of fancy, they had absolutely no clue in the social engineering department. Thus all this fanciness for a cargo hauler, with absolutely no consideration given to the possibility of two additional rows of seats for family hauling.
They also had no consideration on business realities. Starting with the average fleet buyer back then would have much preferred a torque oriented ‘truck six’ over a V-8 for the lower running and maintenance costs. And no business is going to pay for Dagmar bumpers or any other 50’s gewgaws.
The again, this was just a deliberate flight of fantasy.
Not only is this an answer to a question nobody asked, it’s the wrong answer. A front engine under a short hood with FWD is the way to do this, for either cargo or passenger configurations. A radiator behind the engine? You’re doing it wrong, GM. Just about every possible drivetrain layout for a van has been tried, and the FF layout has proven the most effective in vans like the modern Ford Transit Connect, Ram Promaster, and Chrysler Pacifica. Front engine/rear drive is second best. Other configurations lead to weird handling, lumpy floors, no access between front row and rear section, poor crashworthiness, difficult engine access, or other issues.
I don’t think I have ever seen color pictures of this one, only B&Ws. I agree with what everyone else has been saying – great idea, but useless. I have always seen some Nomad styling cues in the roof pillar treatment.
Thinking back, there have been a few tries at a truck where the main selling point is the looks. None of them have sold particularly well. The Ranchero/El Camino were probably the most successful, but even in their best years they were moderate sellers at best. The 37-39 Studebaker Coupe Express met the same fate.
It is probably not coincidence that this vehicle came out in advance of the copper paint craze that really got going around 1957-59.
It’s obvious that the show car was to stir up a little interest in the upcoming Corvair based vans. My Dad bought a used Greenbrier passenger van which we took on a long vacation to Mexico back in ’62. My Father was intrigued by the idea of a passenger van, but would never had considered a VW. Later in the mid 60’s my uncle bought a rampside truck for his landscaping business. The built in ramp made unloading the heavy aerating machine much easier. Built in ramps and other innovative loading /unloading devices would make pick up trucks a lot more useful and easier to use.
This is my favorite picture of the L’Universelle. In addition to being a neat beach scene (it almost looks like it belongs there), this angle shows the rooftop radiator grille. Apparently, the intent was to force air into the radiator via fans mounted just under the grille.
I like the choice of a French name. Interestingly, the concept was originally intended to be called Livraison (Delivery), but late in development someone decided to change it to L’Universelle instead.
If they weren’t quite so clueless, they would have shown it at the Pacific Ocean with surfers. It would make quite the surfer van.
Just what is it supposed to be doing at the beach there? Delivering suntan lotion?
The reality looks a bit like the dream, also a bit of a nightmare. (F Series I Victor Estate)
Special Interest Autos, August 1982, L’Universelle Front Wheel Drive in ’55, tells of the development of this van.
https://www.hemmings.com/stories/2010/05/30/sia-flashback-luniverselle-front-wheel-drive-in-55
Another west coast picture (Golden Gate bridge): https://www.ebay.com/itm/403136607629?_trkparms=ispr%3D1&hash=item5ddcd0758d:g:jV4AAOSwRrthNgQQ&amdata=enc%3AAQAGAAAA4KKDD%2FX6vU%2FaIkSQ%2B1mHUMoWwzr4kgGZ7IRb%2Bs9TwGHZVHYLJBqm3IalxPgcZdEVmPTZpGe%2FgkjBPh84dBUB2MA%2Fq5kBpN2VgE8pesf1hsyYmzt%2FcQpB6f483wlNZDCl4uPWCMxzkQQC1BXMHf6HWMcq6dMXrs1PJKBHzh6KO5BjrvUQpXnRhZzPrJyw6O5492mgmN7gKoN7xD32EtdRb1bvbhz7lFtNjy7ygWCyzzALQSPjnTR2FssiPtBUPjNNwA0hST8fJG%2Bl%2F%2FhHlYWeFn4uzzgMN1kJDvVQXuZtRAx4%7Ctkp%3ABFBMjL7Y64dg
One of those “mid 50’s” ideas of what vehicles would look like come “1970”.
Say, for 1955, that’s quite the low-hangin’ pair o’ Dagmars right out front there.Ahead of both the car and their time.
Quite liberated-looking, them.